Foundation garment



May 10, 1932. R. M. GRAVES FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Sept. 4, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet INVENTCR ATTORNEY May 10, 1932. R. M. GRAVES FOUNDATION GARMENT I 3 Sheets-Sheet filgVENTOR BY ATTORNEY Filed Sept. 4, 1931 May 10, 1932. R. M. GRAVES FOUNDATION GARMENT Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES ROSE M. GRAVES, OF CHICAGO, ILL INOI S, ASSIGNOR TO ASSOCIATED APPAREL INDUS- PATENT OFFICE:

TRIE-S, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AOORPORATION OF ILLINOIS V FOUNDATION GARMENT Application filed'september 4. 1931. Serial No. 561,155.

This inventionrelates to foundation garments and has for its object to provide'a simple form-fitting garment with inner belt adapted to give a smooth non-bulging line to 5 the figure and thus afford a proper foundation for the outer garments.

ment of this typewith an inner belt adapted. to cover the body in the regionof, the diaphragm and abdomen. This belt, is constructed with acentral front panel which is suitably stiffened and is provided at its upper sides with elastic or other bands which project out through openings in the front of the outer garment and are adapted to be fastened under varying degrees of tension to draw in the diaphragm in accordance. with the correct waist measurement of the wearer. Another function of the inner belt is to control the hips and abdomen. V

The preferred garment which I have selected to illustrate my invention is a combined corset and brassiere having an opening: at one side extending from top to bottom and provided with suitable fastening means. Longitudinal elastic sections at the sides of the garment assist in molding the figure while allowing proper freedom of movement to the wearer. The inner belt is preferably constructed in two pieces which are attached to the rear inner sides of the garment and are adapted to be fastened together about the body pref erably at the same side as the opening in the garment. W

The central frontp'anel' of the beltis adjusted. by means of straps, preferably by two pairs of elastic, straps which area'ttached to the upper edges'of the panel and. projectout through openingsin the front section of the garment. The elastic straps of. each pair are spaced'apart at their points of'attachment to the belt and converge into tabs provided with fastening means such as hooks which cooperate with eyelets formed in tapes which are secured to the back of the garment. The adj ustment of the straps controls the tension on the stifiened front panel of the belt and flattens the diaphragm while the belt itself controls the hips and abdomen and cooperates with the outer'garment to give a smooth, non-bulging line to the figure.

i The invention will .bed'escribed in connection with the embodiment shown in the companying drawings, in which 7 Figs. 1 and 2 are front and rear views, respectively, showing my'preferred foundation garment in open position;

Fig. 3 is a side view of a torso showing the garment applied thereto with the elastic" straps adjusted in one of several possible positions; and I c Fig. l'is a similar view showing the belt in position onthe wearer before fastening the garment andtheftensioning straps. v

' In the drawings, the outer garment com prises a front section 1 having a brasslere portion Qsecured to its upper edge, aback section 3 and longitudinal side elastic sections f4 and 5 extending from thebottom of the garmentto about the waistline where they are secured to upperside sections 6' and 7 respectively, constituting the. sides of the brassiere. This outer garment is adapted to encircle the body of the wearer and is fastened by means of a series of hooks 8 on one edge adapted to engage in corresponding eyes 9 on the other edge as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Adjustable shoulder straps 10 and 11 are fastened by buttons 12 to the upper edge of the br'assiere portion 2, and by similar buttons 13 to the upper edge of the back section 3, to hold the garment in position on the wearer.

The front, corset section l of the. outer garment maybe constructed in one piece, but in the preferred. form shown in the drawings it is provided with a central section or panel 14: which is secured to the section 1 by'rows of stitches 15 which extend from the bottom io o of. section 14 and up the sides to about the waist line, the entire front section 1 being stitched at 16 to the lower edge of the brassiere. The upper edges of section 14 lying between the rows of stitches 15 and 16, however, are unattached so as to provide openings 17 leading to the reverse side of thegarnient for a purpose hereinafter described. The back section 3 has four double stays 18 of bone or metal which extend substantially the full length of the garment to give the proper rigidity. P J

The inner belt is constructed in two separate sections 19 and 20, the former being stitched to the rear vertical seam adjacent the stay 18 at the right-handside of the outer garment, and the latter being stitched to the rear vertical seam adjacent the stay 18 at the left-hand side of the outer garment. The elongated belt section 19 therefore lies underneath the front section 1 and side elastic section 5 of the outer garment, while the shorter belt section 20 lies underneath the side elastic section 4 of the outer garment and extends out beyond the edge of the section 4 as best shown in Fig. 2.

The elongated belt section 19 is composed of a central panel 21, two side front panels 22 and 23, and a vertical side elastic insert 24 extending from the bottom of the belt to approximately the waistline where it is secured to a horizontal elastic 25 at the point of attachment to the garment. The front section of the belt also has two lower horizontal elasof the garment as shown in Fig. 2. The belt portion is adjusted about the body in the manner shown in Fig. 4 and is fastened by means of a series of hooks 30 on the edge of belt section 19which engage in corresponding I eyes 31 on the edge of the belt section 20.

It will be seen from the above that the inner belt covers the body from a point above the waist line to below the hips, and that the central panel 21 of the belt section 19 is adapted to cover the body in the region of the diaphragm and abdomen with the upper edge of the panel 21 coincident with the lower edge 18 of the brassiere portion 2. This central diaphragm control panel 21 preferably has three center stays 32 and double side stays 33 and 34, all extending from the bottom of the central panel 21 to its upper edge which is approximately atthe waist line. The stays 32, 33 and 34 in the panel 21 furnish the strength and rigidity necessary to give the desired abdominal support.

Pairs of elastic straps 35 and 36 are sewed to the upperside edges of the diaphragm con trol panel 21 in the seams which connect panel 21to the side front sections 22 and 23. The

straps 35 and 36 of each pair pass through the ceiving the hooks 38.

In adjusting the garment upon the wearer it is firstplaced across the back and the inner belt is circled around the'body so that the free edges of the belt sections 19 and 20 meet at the left side as shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the series of hooks 30'are clasped in'the corresponding eyes 31. The front portion of the outer garment is then placedin position so that the free edges meet at the left side as shown in Fig.3, whereupon the series of hooks 8 are clasped in the corresponding eyes 9, and the shoulder straps ,are'also adjusted to secure the garment in position. The diaphragm control is then adjusted by drawing the paired straps 35 and 361and inserting the hooks 38 into one or another of the eyelets 40 in the respective tapes 39, drawing in the diaphragm in accordance with the correct waist measurement. The choice of eyelets 40, whether first,

second or third, depends upon the amount-of flesh in the diaphragm and the particular adjustment or degree of tension desired. The flexibility of the elastic straps 35 and 36 gives comfort to the wearer while distributing the flesh of the diaphragm in such a manner as to give a smooth, unbroken line to the figure. The garment has single garter straps 41 and 42 attached to the lower edges of the front and rear sections 1 and 3,'respectively, of the outer garment and double garter straps 43 each. with one; end attached to the loweredge of the belt panel 21 and the other end attached to the lower edge of the horizontal elastic sections 26 and 27 of belt section 19. An elastic gore 44 is inserted in the lower central portion of the front section '1 of the outer garment, and a similar gore 45 is inserted in the upper central portion of the back section 3. r V

The garment may be made of any suitable material, but to give a pleasing appearance the entire garment, with the exception of the several elastic inserts,front brassiere portion 2, and entire inner belt, may be made of brocaded cloth. The front brassiere portion 2 may be made of ribbed mercerized cloth, while the inner belt may be made of coutil.

It will be evident that various changes may be made in the details of construction herein shown and described without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as delined in theappended claims.

The. invention claimed is:

1. A foundation garment comprising a combined corset and brassiere adapted to em circle the body, having an opening extending from top to bottom and a pair of spaced openings in the front at about the waistline, a belt secured to the inside of the garment arranged to cover the diaphragm and abdomen and having an opening extending from top to bottom, straps secured to the front portion of said belt and arranged to extend through the openings in the front of the garment, and means for holding said straps under tension at the sides of the garment. I

2. A foundation garment comprising a combined corset and brassiere adapted to encircle the body, having an opening extending from top to bottom and a pair of spaced openings in the front at about the Waist line, a belt secured to the inside of the garment and arranged to cover the body from a point above the Waist line to below the hips, a stiifened panel in said belt in position to cover the diaphragm and abdomen, straps secured to the sides of said panel andarranged to extend through the openings in the front of the garment, and means for holding said straps under tension at the sides of the garment.

3. A foundation garment comprising a combined corset and brassiere adapted to encircle the body, having an opening at one side extending from top to bottom and a pair of spaced openings in the front at about the Waist line, a belt secured to the inside of the garment arranged to cover the diaphragm and abdomen and having an opening at the same side as the side opening in the garment, spaced elastic straps secured to the front portion of said belt and extending through the openings inthe front of the garment and partly around the outer sides of the garment at the Waist line, and means for adjustably securing said elastic straps to thegarment to hold said belt under tension.

4. A foundation garment comprising a combined corset and brassiere adapted to encircle the body, havingan opening at one side extending from top to bottom and a pair of spaced openings in the front at about the waist line, an inner belt having an elongated section secured to one inner side'of the garment and extending around the front to' cover the diaphragm and abdomen and a shorter section secured to the other inner side of the garment adjacent the side opening therein, fastening means for connecting the meeting edges of said belt sections together, spaced elastic straps secured tothe front portion of said belt and extending through the openings in the front of the gar.- ment and partly around the outer sides of the garment at the Waist line, and means for adjustably securing said straps to the garment at the Waist line to hold the belt under tension.

5. A foundation garment comprising a combined corset and brassiere adapted to encircle the body, having an opening at one side extending from top to bottom and a pair of section secured to the other inner side of the I garment adjacent the side opening therein, fastening means for connecting the meeting edges of said belt sections together, vertical and horizontal elastic inserts in said belt sections enabling same to stretch around the body, a stiffened panel in the elongated belt section in position to cover the diaphragm and abdomen, elastic straps secured to the sides of said stiffened panel and extending through the openings in the front of the garment and partly around the outer sides of the garment at the Waist line, tapes secured to the rear portion of the garment and ar-' ranged to extend forwardly toward said elastic straps, and means for adjustably securing said elastic straps to said tapes to hold said stiffened panel under tension.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 31st day of August, A. D. 1931. I

- g ROSE M. GRAVES. 

